Spring-tire for wheels.



AAAAAAAAAA D. SPRING TIR EEEEEEEEE S.

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SSSSSSSSSSSSS 1 I I. WW #M z N0. 856,957. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

A. R. HUBBARD.

SPRING TIRE FOR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZ, 1906.

a SHEETSSHEET 2. a

A. R. HUBBARD. SPRING TIRE FOR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1906.

PATENTBD JUNE 11, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNITED sra rns P TE ()FFICE.

ARTHUR ROBERT HUBBARD, or LONDON, ENGLAND $P RING-TIFZE FOR WHEELS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ROBERT HUBBARD, a ubject of the King of GreatBritain, of 37 pper Thames street, London,

5 in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Spring-Tires for l/Vheels, of which the following is aspecification.

Thisinvention relates to the tires of wheels, and more especially to thewheels of motor cars, cycles, or Wheels of carts, carriages, or othervehicles.

7 It has been usual in such wheels to use (for the purpose of obtainingthe requisite elasticity), india rubber tires to wheels, either solid orsupported by pneumatic tubes containing compressed air, but by mypresent invention 1 do not obtain therequired elasticity by means ofindia rubber, but by means of metal springs suitably arranged.

The accompanying drawings are in illustration of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side'view, and Fig 2 an end view of an entire wheel. Fig.3 is a side View, partly in section, upon a larger scale, of part of awheel. Fig. 4 is a cross section through one of the wooden blocksforming the tread of the wheel, and its metal holder. Fig. 5 is a lanfrom below of one of the metal block ho ders. Fig. 6 is a sectionthrough some of the curved springs showing the method of holding theirinner end. Fig. 7 is an end View, and Fig. 8 a side View, showing amethod of hinging the metal block-holders together. Fig. 9 is a plan (ona still larger scale), and Fig. 10 a side view, and Fig. 11 an end view,of two of the metal block-holders, showing a method of hinging themtogether. Fig- '12 is a side View, Fig. 13 a plan, and Fig. 14 atransverse section of a slightly modified form of a metal block-holder.

The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.

Assuming the wheel (for a motor car for example) to consist of a hub,spokes, and a wooden .rim, of any of the usual kinds, I shrink orotherwise iix round the outer rim 0. (Fig. 1) a light but suilicientlystrong hoo b of iron or steel, preferably of the same wi th as theWooden nm, but of only the thickness required to provide the necessarystrength. Completely round the outer circumference of this metal hoop Iform a suflicient number of strong lugs or projections c at a determined5 5. distance apart, and extending nearly radially for a sufficientheight from the metal hoop.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2, 1906. Serial No- 324,458.

Patented June 11, 1907.

These projections extend preferably coinpletely across the hoop uponwhich they are formed, and each of them is provided with an inclinedgroove d (Fig. 3) of suilicient width extending completely through thelug c from side to side, the inner edge of the groove extending as faras the outer circumference of the hoop 1). Into these grooves I iittightly the inner or thicker end of elastic steel plates or springs e,the outer or thinner ends of which are attached to an outer tire in themanner hereinafter described.

. The springs c, and the recesses (Z in which their inner ends are heldare not radial, but are curved more or less cycloidally so that theirouter or thinner ends become more or' .less tangential to the outer tireto which they are attached, their outer ends (looked at edgcwise),extending circnnifcrenti ally somewhat beyond the position of the nextsucceeding lug on the hoop, and so on completely round the wheel.(Instead of being thicker at their inner ends, the springs e may be ofuniform thickness throughout.)

I prefer to iix the larger or thicker end of the plate spring 0 in itsrecess (Z, by means of a strong cylindrical pin f driven into a hole gbored completely through the lug from side to side, the plate 0 having acorresponding notch made across it in the proper position, (see Fig. 3)so that the in is contained principally n the lug, with )ut a small iartof its circumference in the face of the spring, which -is therefore heldperfectly firmly in its place.

Or the pin f may press directly against the face of the spring plate (2(the notch in which is omitted), and a nut may be screwed upon one endof the pin, to retain it in its place, a thin head being provided at itsother end, (as shown atf, Fig. 6).

The outer or operating tireof the wheel, to which the thinner ends of;the spring plates 0 are connected, consists of hollow metal hold ers orshoesh as many in number as the springs around the wheel, curved ontheir inner Face so that when put together, end to end, (see Fig. 1)they form a complete ring, the ends of which are connected togetherflexibly, one end ofeach being formedin the shape of a hook turnedeither inward or outward, and the other end being formed with a similarcorresponding hook turned in the opposite direction so that the twohooked parts can be en gaged with each other (as shown at i, Fig. 3)

the entire series'forming an articulated ring or tire capable bf slightbut sufficient movement at the hooked. joints Or the ends of the holdersor shoes may be attached together in any other convenient manner. Forinstance, their ends maybe arranged tooverlap by projecting or lugs,fitting into each other so as to form lunged 3oints at as shown in Figs.9, i6, i1, i2, 13, and 14, pins or bolts is (Fig. passing through theover iapping ends and connecting the ends of the two adjoining holdersor shoes h.

' The outer ends or the springplates e are formed with projections Zfitting into corresponding transverse recesses at min the cen- $81? ofthe curved back of the metal shoe h, a pin or bolt n being passedthrough holes in both, so that the end of the s ring 6 is attachedsufficiently stronglyto tli e back of the metal shoe it, allowing thenecessary amount of play. Gr the outer ends of the spring plate a maybeattached to the shoes h f by any other convenient means.

LII

As shown in 7 and 8, the ends of the 'oining holders it may be connectedtoher by links is pivoted at t to the sides of 'ne holders, so that thelatter are capable oi a suflicient amount of independent movement.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the'links s are shown used in connection with thehinges and )ivot bolts la, and their central parts are s oWn projectingup suiliciently to cover the ends of the pivots i: and. preventing thelatter from acoidentallycoming out. The holes for the links 3 should besufiiciently elongated to al-' low slight turning movement of theholders h. The outer face of the metal shoe h is hollow so that it formsbox or holder into which can be fitted and driven properly-shaped blocksof suitable wood the outer face or tread of which is curved and runs onthe road. These blocks are secured against falling out by means of an .153121: 1' longitudinal groove 7? (see Fig. 1-) formed in their back, inwhich fits a corresponding wedge g (Figs. 3, 4, and so that when thewooden block 0 is iorcibly driven. into its place the wedge g (the backof which abuts against the bottom of the recess in the metal shoe 72,which holds the wood blocko) forcibly separates the sides of the angularin the block into which it and holds the latter perfectly se J l-u l ig.l the sides of the holder h are shown inclined slightly inward, theseparated hi the wood block 0 being driven against in by the wedge q.For light win-i such as bicycle wheels and the iike, the m as or shoesIt may be made in the form or" 5 metal i'ramcs having periitirations atll ends, and bottom, the wooden him, I or Lied in position by bolls orscrew s at (Fig. 12) suitably ar- "auged in the lrames, and instead ofwooden blocks 1 may use other material such as cork alone or combinedwith other substance.

The improved tire possesses perfect elasgreat smoothness, and it isdurable and not liable to get out of order.

The details of construction may be varied more or loss as may be founddesirable.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, isz- 1. Spring tires for the Wheels of motor cars, cycles, carts,carriages, or other vehicles, consisting in the combination With a hub,spokes, and rim, of any of the usual kinds, of a metal hoop fitted andfixed round the rim, anumber of projections round the outercircumference of the hoop, transverse inclined grooves on the lugs, aseries of elastic steel springs, curved cycloidally in edge view, theirinner ends being fitted and fixed in the transverse grooves, metalholders to the backs of which the outer ends of the spring plates arepivoted, and wooden blocks fitted tightly into and projecting beyond theouter edge of the metal holders, substantially as described and shown. v

2. In spring tires for Wheels, the combination of a metal hoop b fixedupon the rim a of an ordinary wheel, lugs c on the hoop b, transverseinclined grooves (Z in the lugs c, elastic steel curved springs 'e fixedat their inner ends in the inclined grooves 61, metal holders h pivotedtogether at their ends, and wooden blocks 0 fitted tightly into themetal holders 72., shown.

3. In a spring tire, the combination with the wheel, of a plurality oflugs formed on said wheel, a tread portion surrounding said wheel and aplurality of curved springs pivotally connected at one end to said treadand rigidly connected at their other ends to said lugs on said wheel,substantially as described.

4. In a spring tire, the combination with the wheel, of a metallicencircling hoop arranged on the periphery thereof, a plurality of lugsformed on said hoop, a plurality of metallic shoes linked togethersurrounding said hoop and forming the tread portion, a series of curvedsprings pivotally connected at one end to the said metallic shoes andmeans for locking the other ends of said springs in said lugs on saidhoop, substantially as described. V

5. In a spring tire, the combination with the Wheel, of a metallicencircling hoop arranged on the periphery thereof, a plurality ofradially extending lugs formed on said hoop, said lugs being providedwith transverse inclined grooves, metallic shoes in num bercorresponding to said lugs on said hoop, said shoes being curvedslightly on their innor faces and having their ends connected flexiblytogether forming a complete ring surrounding said hoop, and a pluralityof curved springs, the inner endsthercof fitting tightly in said groovesin said lugs and the other ends substantially as set forth and.

pivotally attached to said shoes, substan tially as described.

6. 111 a spring tire, the combination with a Wheel, of an eneirelinghoop arranged on the peripherv thereof, a plurality of lugs Formed onsaid hoop said lugs being prorided with curved inclined grooves, a treadportion formed of a plurality of llexihly connected metallic shoessurrounding said hormavooden blocks fitting securely into and extendingout beyond the outer edge of said shoes, a plurality of eyeloidallyeurveid springs having their inner enlarged. ends tightly secured inSaid curved inclined grooves and their outer 3 ends pivotally attachedto saldnietalhe shoes and means for locking said springs in saidgrooves, substantially as described.

7. In a spring tire, the combination with the wheel, of an eneirelinghoop arranged on the peripherv thereol', lugs tornied on said hoop andprovided with transverse inelined grooves and registering transversebores, a tread portion surroumling said hoop, eurved springs pivotallyattached at their outer smaller end to the inner faces of said treadmembers, the other end of said spring tightly fitting into said reeess,a pin litting into said bore and into a eorresponding recess in saidsprings thereby locking said springs in said grooves, substantially asdeserihed.

In witness whereof I. have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR l ltllil'ill'l HUBBARD. \Yi tnesses:

ALEX. N. Fluncwnml, ALFRED '1. BnA'T'roN.

